David Lussier All Prima Workshops
A Rewarding And Fullfilling Workshop Experience
Click or tap the button above to see our recommended Supply List. We’ve used Rembrandt Oils for 30 years because we believe in their buttery consistency and great color. While our supply list is highly recommended, if you’re comfortable with your supplies then by all means use what you feel good about. The main point is to have the correct supplies in order to plein air paint on the island.
This is a clip from my ‘Color & Atmosphere’ mini workshop. You can review the workshop information and gain access by clicking or tapping here.
“Early in my career as a painter, I came to realize the importance of painting both outdoors ‘plein air’ as well as in the studio. The two approaches help each other tremendously. When painting outdoors immersed in nature, our senses our being filled with a myriad of sights, sounds, and smells, along with an emotionally charged reaction to the scene before us. Indoors, we can learn to recall this stimuli as well as open ourselves up to new ideas. This is why I conduct both plein air and indoor studio workshops. ”
Take your outdoor painting to the next level. David is known for his sophisticated color sense, poetic brushwork and his ability to convey emotion in a painting. His 'Less Is More' approach to painting has garnered him numerous accolades throughout his long career in plein air painting. David has competed extensively throughout the United States in both juried and invitational plein air competitions and has been asked to be juror for numerous events. He is an extremely knowledgeable instructor, who can reach students at their own individual level.
David's workshops are filled with demos and plenty of hands on instruction. He will never ask you to do anything that he has not demonstrated and explained first. Composition, values, color, brushwork and edge control are all a part of his step by step approach. In order to insure plenty of individual instruction at the easel, all workshops are limited to a maximum of 12-18 students, depending on the venue.
When she is not involved with her own painting commissions and projects, David is assisted by his wife Pam, who is a very talented and knowledgeable plein air painter and instructor. Together they make up an exciting and amusing team and are known as the original 'Plein Air Pair'.
Click here to read ‘For Plein Air Painters, Monhegan Is Magical’ by Gail Spilsbury
Click here to read David's 'On Art & Influence’
Click here for ‘Color Palette Notes’
Click here to read more about our ‘Teaching Philosophy’
Our Two & Three Day Plein Air Workshop Schedule
Please note: This schedule applies to workshops that are conducted through David Lussier Workshops. Schedules may vary for other workshops and as we see fit. While we recommend that students take a lunch break in order to get out of the sun for a bit and for fuel for an afternoon of painting, we leave it to each individual to make their own choice. As your instructors, we always take a one hour break to recharge.
Day One
8:45 - 9:00 Arrive at painting location
9:00 - 12:00 Lecture and demo
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch Break
1:00 - 4:00 Paint on location with individual instruction
Day Two
8:45 - 9:00 Arrive at painting location
9:00 - 10:30 Lecture and demo
10:30 - 12:00 Paint on location with individual instruction
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch Break
1:00 - 4:00 Paint on location with individual instruction
Day Three
8:45 - 9:00 Arrive at painting location
9:00 - 12:00 Paint on location
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch Break
1:00 - 4:00 Paint on location
4:00 - 5:00 Critique
A view of the dock from Fish Beach. 'Monhegan Harbor' oil by David Lussier
Monhegan Island Maine
TWO BACK TO BACK WORKSHOPS in 2024
This will be our 26th year! Our annual Monhegan Island workshops will be held back to back. Come for one or both weeks. The workshop dates are July 21 - 25 & July 28 - August 1 2025. We've extended our Monhegan Island workshop to a 5 day schedule with 3 full days of demo’s and individual instruction, followed by two full days of individual painting anywhere on the island followed by a group critique each of the two days. On the last day we will hold a free drawing for an original painting of Monhegan by David.
We will base the workshop around the Monhegan village. There are no cars on this tiny island and everywhere you walk is another great scene waiting to be painted. Monhegan Village boasts beautiful scenes of its harbor, with Manana Island standing rugged and purposeful, as both protector and magnificent backdrop for the boats and sailing vessels seeking shelter from the open ocean just beyond. The Monhegan Dock, where visitor and island resident alike, must arrive or leave from, begs to be painted. The houses and shacks along the village roads and village shore have barely changed since the days of George Bellows, Robert Henri and the myriad of other painters who came to Monhegan at the turn of the last century and left with some of the best and most inspired paintings of their lifetime. This painters paradise continues to inspire artists, hundreds of years after being discovered. CLICK HERE for Monhegan Workshop A. CLICK HERE for Monhegan Workshop B. To learn more about accommodations and boat schedules CLICK HERE.
Private Plein Air & Studio Instruction
Let me help you grow as an artist by developing sound principals, along with good painting and work habits. I am offering half-day and full-day private plein air and studio instruction in the Southern Maine and New Hampshire Seacoast areas. We will spend the time painting side by side interpreting the same subject. Composition, color, values and edges will be stressed in each session. Working one-on-one is an advanced method of teaching. The goal of private instruction is to realistically access your skills and help you to attain your highest level. Your painting strengths and weaknesses will be pointed out and bad habits will be broken. There will be an emphasis placed on gaining a clear understanding of the principals in painting that allow us to capture the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere on a canvas, while developing your individual style and expression.
Full Day Sessions - Time: 9:30 PM- 3:30 Cost: $600. Minimum of 2 sessions.
Half-Day Sessions - Time: 9:30-12:30 PM Cost: $300. Minimum of 2 sessions.
If you would like to work with me privately, please contact me by email.
Online Mentoring - Complementary Color Palettes
Color harmony in painting does not have to be a complicated process. This online course will teach you how to think properly about your palette of colors and give you one-on-one guidance in learning how use color effectively. You will learn how to simplify your color choices in order to achieve beautiful color harmony in your paintings.
The course provides you access to private online material that you can read on your own and assignments can be tackled at your own pace. I will answer all your questions and give you personal guidance and advice online. In depth critiques of your assignments are a critical part of the learning process. Two one hour critiques and discussions about moving forward are held on Zoom.
The online course has 4 sessions, with room built in for your busy schedule. The 4 sessions can be done over a four week time frame or you can break them up as needed. The cost is $450. If you are interested in more information, please contact me by email or you can register and pay securely online for the 4 session class below. Once you are registered, I will provide you with a password to access to the online material on this website.
Once you are registered for the Complementary Color Palette course I will assign you a password. Then you’ll be able to open the online curriculum for working with complementary color palettes by clicking here. To access the notes on mixing my Color Harmony Palette Click here. I look forward to working with you to help you make better color choices and simplify the color process.